Bitter cold, but better weather on the way

January 11, 2010

A long-awaited and much-anticipated end to Chicago's prolonged cold spell is at hand, but a final surge of arctic air must first be endured.

It arrives this morning, accompanied by a dusting of snow and northwest winds gusting above 25 mph. Temperatures start upward on Tuesday, and readings are forecast to break above freezing, 32 degrees, on Wednesday, ending an 18-day string of days at or below freezing.

The weather over the weekend was very cold, especially overnight Saturday and into Sunday. According to the WGN-TV Severe Weather Blog, it got to -13 in Aurora Sunday morning, -11 in Kankakee, Morris and Sandwich, -10 in Joliet, -6 in Wheaton, zero at Midway and O'Hare airports, and 3 or 4 above zero in some city neighborhoods.

Warming centers are available throughout the city and state (here's a list); city residents can call 311 for more information on city locations. The city's warming center at 10 S. Kedzie Avenue on the West Side is open 24 hours a day.

The good news is that the need for those warming centers shouldn't be as dire through the week, with highs expected in the 30s through next Sunday. And the seven-day forecast isn't showing a lot of precipitation, with some snow expected today and a little more due Friday.